The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

So tomorrow morning at 3:30 am I'm heading off to the airport for a LONG flight to Shanghai. From there - Yiwu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and back again, and to say that I had a hard time packing into a carry-on sized bag would be an understatement. My dad thought lugging my giant suitcase from trains to airports to cabs would be a pain (and he was probably right). Even with my lack of clothes, I'm so excited, China was the most amazing place to visit the first time around, and I get to go even more places with more of my family (and my boyfriend) this time around. Sadly, I had to leave my new coat behind - too much tropical weather and not enough suitcase space. But when I get back to the November cold I doubt you'll even see many of my actual clothes through the fuzzy, leather exterior.

Penny Lane eat your heart out...

jacket-nastygalvintage, plaid shirt-f21, jeans-gap1969, pumps-stevemadden

(PS : the winner of the giveaway was Tiffany Christie - expect an email from CSN Stores' marketing department with your gift code)

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

Glamour & Giveaways

photo source: the vogue diaries

If there ever was a girl who embodied the spirit of Audrey Hepburn in a modern way, I'd think it would have to be Olivia Palermo. Her impeccable style is more inspirational to me than anyone else's, and I'm trying to recreate a few of these looks in my China packing plan.

One more thing I'd love to have to finish off my wish for glamorous travel wear is a certain DVF weekender I've had my eye on from Luxe by CSN, and one lucky reader could be well on their way to owning it, since the lovely people at CSN stores have gotten in touch with me to do a giveaway for one of my readers.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need, whether it be a chic bar stool, a stylish handbag (like the one I'm coveting HERE) or even cute cookware!

Just leave a comment on the post with your e-mail address, and CSN will send the winner (picked at random by me) a $35 gift card code that works at any of their online stores.

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

Concert in My Living Room

I seriously can't stop wearing these bell bottoms - every single pair of platforms I own (and that's kind of a lot...) looks about the thousand times better with them. It know it's a little over-the-top seventies, but that's very ME.

I'm still not very happy about the weather here - it's yet to get cold enough for me to wear my cape, and with Jim James sporting one on Letterman tonight, it's really starting to annoy me. He's possibly the only man alive who could get away with that...

We're currently postponing Glee to watch My Morning Jacket's Live on Letterman concert, and it's making me think it's time I find a way to get to a show of theirs soon.

wearing: bell-bottom jeans-gap, floral top-walmart, fedora-asos, bag-fossil, platforms-steve madden

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

Dare to Dream

I'm loving all these fuzzy, seventies, and shearling this week - I wouldn't tell you if mine weren't already on the way, but those perfect Burberry look-a-likes are from GoJane, and they'll only set you back $44.50. They definitely softened the disappointment I felt when I realized Andy from Style Scrapbook's perfect River Island ones were not available to US customers.

Sadly, it's not cold enough here to wear any of these clothes until after I return from my trip to China on Halloween. I've really started to detest the words "indian summer," especially after our temps reached 90 degrees today. I guess I'll just keep fantasizing about November...surely it'll have to be cold by then?

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

perfection

It may not be Burberry, but I sure am glad I held out on all the other versions made up to now - this baby only runs $44.50. I can sacrifice a buckle or two for a couple thousand dollars.

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs

So to say these shoes got a few stares yesterday would be a lie - they command attention. But the statement they make is interesting & pretty. The color of the suede is actually pretty hard to nail down in person, because it veers between rosy and a mousy grayish tan. Of course, the ambiguous nature of the color means these go with just about everything in my closet, so expect to see them a lot because the comfort level is kind of remarkable. If you were lucky enough to get a pair, I commend you: I was on the phone with Solestruck several times to find out when exactly they'd go up, and I'm glad I was because about 2 hours later they were completely gone. To be honest, I hadn't cared much for the Lita before seeing it in this shade.

Today we had our TV unhooked because we're getting set up for DirecTV tomorrow, so I'm enjoying Jane Eyre once more on my Kindle - although I have to say, I feel like I'm enjoying it for the first time. This book was never meant for children's eyes - not that it's inappropriate, but Bronte's language was meant for those who would savor it rather than suffer through it.

These are just a few of my highlighted passages:

"What a singularly deep impression her injustice seems to have made on your heart... Would you not be happier if you tried to forget her severity, together with the passionate emotions it excited? Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs."

"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you--especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly."

Sorry to go all 'dorky english major' on you, but I just couldn't keep from sharing - I highly recommend it.

on to the clothes: dress,cardigan,tights,necklace,hat-forever21, shoes-jeffrey campbell

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

all the small things

Well my attempt at a low-key weekend was pretty much relegated to Sunday, since we didn't manage to be very low-key at all on Saturday. Somehow cheering on a friend at his bowling tournament Saturday morning (and by cheering on, I mean drinking perfect bloody marys in the bowling alley bar) turned into buying tickets for Kool and the Gang, which turned into dressing in every vintage 70s piece I have and dancing until my feet hurt so bad I almost took them my shoes off on the way home.

Luckily, the concert ended early enough that we were in bed by midnight, so I actually did something useful with my Sunday. I finished my weekend cleaning early enough to bake a homemade pie - crust and all - and sit down with my book (Jane Eyre, re-reading it since I remember loving it the first time around and it was FREE on my Kindle - all the good classics are free on kindle).

In other random news I'm pretty excited for this coming week since

a) my taupe suede Litas are coming Tuesday : )

b)we're getting DirecTV Thursday which means I get my very own DVR...this sounds small but you've no idea the amount of football I've watched since living with this man all year

I also despise Mediacom since they like to have FOX "outages" every time a new episode of Glee is on

c) and I'm foregoing getting my nails done this week to get my hair worked on, which is desperately needed, as evidenced by the heidi braids i'm sporting to hide it here

on to the clothes: olive cardigan-f21, wedges-stevemadden, jeans-gap1969, bag-fossil

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse